


Avengers U: The 21st Century 101

by the_crown_jules



Series: Avengers U [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Clint is overrepresented because he makes me laugh, Domestic Avengers, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Humor, M/M, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Reality TV, Really pre-slash there's not even kissing this is ruining my brand, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, Steve Rogers: man on a mission, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, pop tarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29171088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_crown_jules/pseuds/the_crown_jules
Summary: The Avengers and friends are applying their specialized knowledge to a critical mission: bringing their newly unfrozen leader up to speed on the MOST important things he's missed. Welcome to Avengers University, where the lessons from military strategy, reality TV, memes, Tumblr randos, and super spy seduction might help Steve with his secret final exam: getting the guy. First in series.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Avengers U [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2162877
Comments: 6
Kudos: 68





	Avengers U: The 21st Century 101

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of these characters. 
> 
> This is completely ridiculous fluff. Writing it made me smile and I hope it makes you smile too.
> 
> No beta, timeline is largely ambiguous, just casual fun.....now with a few changes to account for this becoming an unintended series!

The course list showed up on the common fridge door in the Tower on a Monday morning. From the multiple colors of pen, crossed out words, commentary, and varied styles of handwriting, Steve could tell that everyone had strong opinions. He felt a twinge of fondness in his heart knowing that, no matter who had been the ringleader of this whole thing, each of his teammates cared enough to literally put their mark on it.

"Avengers University" it said at the top, with a fancy crest shape drawn around the A. Underneath was what would apparently be Steve's homegrown course list, courtesy of his ridiculous teammates. He supposed if they were going to do stuff like this perhaps it was okay to start thinking of them as friends.

_**~~Modern living~~ The 21st Century 101** _

_**Thor:** Midgard is a strange place_

_**Bruce:** cultural and literary milestones >:P _(Steve was pretty sure that someone else had added the yuck face rather than Bruce himself)

_**Natasha:** ~~people are pliable idiots~~ how to get what you want from anyone_

_**Clint:** POP CULTURE ONLY THE TRASHY PARTS_

_**Tony:** **how to use a phone**_

_**Sam:** correcting whatever bullshit Tony has taught you **hey I resent that**_

_**Maria:** Modern Geopolitics_

_**Fury:** **glaring**_ (this was obviously Tony's handwriting)

***

"...And when you finish your flagon of ale, it is considered polite to ask for another, and not to throw the flagon to the ground in celebration."

Steve felt like Thor's class was going to be an easy A.

***

"When you said pop culture, I thought you meant, ah, TV and such?" Steve said through a mouthful of pop tart.

Clint grinned over his shoulder at him from where he was dumping a bag of microwave popcorn into a bowl. "For the first class we are going to be weirdly literal because I thought of it and I wanted to. The next class will involve heavily flavored chip products, also because I want to."

Steve wolfed down more pop tart, which he was a bit ashamed for liking so much. It was only a year ago in his timeline, after all, that he'd had French pastries in France -- even if that was technically 1945. He grabbed a six-pack of Coke out of the fridge and grinned back at Clint. "Does that have to do with the 'flaming hot Cheetahs' I saw in the pantry?"

Clint rolled his eyes. Steve knew that Clint had started to suspect there was a 50/50 chance he was messing with him at any given time, but he kept his baby blues filled with trustworthy earnestness. "Cheetos, Steve, even though you're probably trolling me. And yes. But now, TV and such."

They carried their haul to the comfortable couch in the cozy smaller lounge area on their common floor, and Clint pulled up the menu on the big screen.

"Okay," he said, handing a piece of paper to Steve with deep seriousness. "Tonight is the sampling menu. Depending on what you get into we'll decide what to do next. I want you to feel like you are engaged in your education."

Steve leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees as he looked at the list.

_TRASH CULTURE_

_Syllabus_

_Intro sampler course: Big Brother, Survivor, The Bachelor, American Idol_

_Subsequent guided lessons may include Dancing with the Stars, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Project Runway, The Amazing Race, Fear Factor, Ru Paul's Drag Race, etc._

"Thank you for putting so much thought into my education, Clint," he said with equal seriousness. "This all looks _really important_."

"Whatever," said Clint, kicking his feet up and propping a bowl of cherries on his stomach. "Judging me now will just come back on you later. You're gonna love this shit and I already know it. Want a cherry?"

Steve held out his hand. "I thought we were only eating pop-themed foods?" As soon as he saw the look on Clint's face he knew his regrets were just beginning.

"We are, Steve. I'm POPping your reality TV cherry."

"Okay! What I have learned so far is you are completely awful."

A few hours later, Tony wandered through, apparently on his way to the kitchen, just when Steve was exclaiming in indignation, "I don't think that Vienna is there for the right reasons." Tony cackled in delight and made a beeline for the couch, where he crammed himself unceremoniously between Steve and Clint. The easy familiarity of it all as Tony reached into Steve's bowl and grabbed a fistful of popcorn made him blush a little, and he was very aware of all the places his body was touching Tony next to him. So warm, and so alive with buzzing energy, smelling faintly of soap and even more faintly of machine oil. Tony leaned back, casually draping an arm across the back of the sofa, and if Steve leaned back too he could-

"So is anyone boning yet?" Tony asked. Steve choked on his popcorn.

***

Maria's class was maybe his favorite, partly because it actually went a long way towards answering "so what has actually happened in the last 70 years" and partly because she cottoned on to his interests and learning style quickly. Textbooks gave way to maps, and the fridge curriculum list had been amended to "Maria: Modern ~~G~~ ~~eopolitics~~ Military History." They asked Tony for access to a larger room where they could spread out and maybe get into the details of troop movements. He did them one better, and Steve stood a little awestruck as Tony and Maria pulled the maps up on the holoscreen.

Sometimes Fury would make an appearance, which usually meant very little in the way of information and very much in the way of dubiously plausible stories. Sometimes Tony joined in to talk about modern warfare, and Steve wasn't sure why he did — the topic clearly made him uncomfortable. When he asked about it, Tony just shrugged and said "because you need to know." Steve wondered in the back of his mind if he meant about the technology or about Tony himself.

***

"And those are the eight ways to convince Nick Fury that your idea is his idea without him knowing that's what you're doing," Natasha finished.

Steve was taking notes frantically, eidetic memory or not.

***

"You already know the basics of your StarkPhone," Tony said. "So let's start talking about your social media presence."

He tapped a blue bird symbol on the screen and a mostly blank profile labeled @Capsicle came up.

"My Twitter handle is _CAPSICLE?!_ " Steve exclaimed in outrage.

" _You know what a Twitter handle is??!_ " Tony exclaimed in equal outrage. "Okay we are officially combining Sam's class and mine, he does not get to have the joy of you plus internet without me."

Steve's phone dinged with a text message from Sam. As the message preview appeared on the screen he mentally high-fived Sam for their perfect timing.

_> Falcon: what about this one for your profile picture?_

The photo preview showed Steve, shirtless and smiling in the sun, holding his shield on his hip. Even in the thumbnail size a gratuitous quantity of abs were obvious. Tony stared at the screen for a moment and then looked up at Steve, eyes wide and cheeks a little pink.

"Umm." Tony cleared his throat. "Do we need to start with talking about porn?"

***

The list had been updated.

_**~~Tony:~~ ** ~~how to use a phone~~ _

_**~~Sam:~~ ** ~~correcting whatever bullshit Tony has taught you~~ **~~hey I resent that~~ ** _

_**Maria:** modern geopolitics_

_**Fury:** **glaring** _

_**Tony AND Sam FIGHT ME: corrupting the uncorruptible** _

_***_

"Steve. Oh my GOD. Did you send me a 'this is fine' meme _while we were putting out a building fire_???!" Tony sounded equal parts horrified and proud as he stared at his phone.

"Of course not, Tony," said Steve, face the picture of innocence. "I had JARVIS send it. I don't text and fight."

Tony slumped at the table and put his face in his hands. "We've created a monster," he said, voice muffled.

Steve grabbed a protein shake and a bag of flaming hot Cheetos and headed out of the kitchen to go wash the soot off. On the way out he rested a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder, taking a small triumphant moment to enjoy the firm muscle under his palm.

"If I don't use the things I learn in school, I'll forget them, and wouldn't that be a waste," Steve said, giving that nice shoulder muscle a squeeze and ruffling Tony's already messy hair as he sauntered away. He had some other ideas for how best to use his new education.

As he walked through his rooms towards his shower, he passed by what he thought of as his battle plan, recently started and posted on his wall for review and revision. At the top he had written in bold strokes: _How to Introduce Tony Stark to the Real Steve Rogers._

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2 is up and more is on the way! Next up: Tony is no match for Steve's level of trolling.


End file.
